


Did Anything Go Right?

by danke_rose



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: A rat - Freeform, Eventual Friends to Lovers, F/M, Mutual Pining, Other characters in small roles, brief mention of burns, getting shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 11:28:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 14,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22495369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose
Summary: What should have been a routine mission to Florida to retrieve a device and prevent its use against mutants becomes a nightmare when nearly everything that can go wrong does.
Relationships: Kitty Pryde & Kurt Wagner, Kitty Pryde/Kurt Wagner, Logan (X-Men) & Kitty Pryde, Logan (X-Men) & Kurt Wagner, Logan (X-Men) & Piotr Rasputin, Piotr Rasputin & Kurt Wagner
Comments: 25
Kudos: 14





	1. Kurt

**Author's Note:**

> I started this a long time ago and finally got around to finishing it. There's no timeline, no canon, and probably the characters are at least a little OOC. The romance is mostly implied, and there's no sex.
> 
> There is always, always Only One Bed and there is always, always bed sharing because that is my favorite and it ends me and that's all. I write for myself first, and then hope someone else out there finds some enjoyment.

Florida did not hold many good memories for Kurt. He had no burning wish to return, and yet that was their destination. Not by Blackbird, either, thanks to it being shot down in pieces, and the X-Men without funds to repair it or purchase a new one. No, to his consternation the six of them were sandwiched into a car. At least it was a nice car, new and clean-smelling, with tech upgrades thanks to Forge. The AC was on high, in an attempt to compensate for the record-high temperatures outside, and Scott, in the driver's seat, had turned on the radio to some mild oldies channel he found. Logan growled softly from the front seat. New York to Florida was a two-day trip at best, three if they hit a lot of traffic. More if there were disasters, of the sort that seemed to follow the X-Men around.

Kitty poked Kurt's arm, and he turned to see her rolling her eyes and indicating the trio in the front seat. He smiled back, unable to suppress it. He was about to lean over and whisper to her when she looked away again, her head against the window and her gaze on the passing trees. He returned to his own thoughts. So far, she was the only one who hadn't complained, which was entirely uncharacteristic of her. Scott and Logan had spent the entire trip so far either not speaking or yelling. Emma, between them, griped either way. And Piotr...

Piotr kept his typical stoic silence unless bothered. Lately, his friendship with Kurt seemed strained, and Kurt didn't know if it was only because they'd left Scotland to rejoin the X-Men, or if there were other things on his mind. Piotr's muscular frame took up more than a single seat in the back, and he infringed on Kurt's meager space in the middle. Because of the cramped space, Kurt squirmed.

“Stop, _tovarisch_ , please,” said Piotr for the tenth time. “There is not enough room back here.”

Kurt tried to remain patient as he replied. “I am doing my best, _mein freund_. I do not wish to crowd Kitty.” Which was a lie.

Emma groaned dramatically, “Why must you boys be so annoying? I thought you call yourselves friends?”

“We are friends, Emma, but as you are well aware, Piotr is larger than the average male,” Kurt said, trying again to shift his hips away from Piotr. “And the middle seat is uncomfortable.”

Kitty watched the scene impassively from the corner of her eyes, the slightest hint of a smile on her lips.

“All of you stop,” said Scott. “This is no time to argue. We're all making sacrifices.” And he turned up the radio.

Logan reached over to turn it back down and Emma smacked his hand away. The rumbling from Logan's throat increased and he raised a hand. They'd only been on the road for three hours and it was already deteriorating to this.

“You'd strike me?” Emma said, batting her lashes and scowling.

“You're no lady, so yeah, I would.”

“Stop it, I said,” Scott repeated.

“Don't be jealous, dear,” Emma said, taking her attention off Logan, who reached for the radio again.

“This is stupid,” Logan growled. “When we get back, Elf, you better fix the damn jet. I ain't travelin' like this again.”

“The jet is in several large pieces, Logan. It isn't exactly—”

“I will hold them together while you do the repairs,” Piotr said. “I do not like this vehicle either.”

Kitty giggled behind a hand, and Kurt slumped in the seat. Sure, she could laugh, she was the smallest of all of them and had the corner to herself. There was a good inch still between her and Kurt, only because he was _such_ a gentleman.

“Stop squirming,” Piotr said, all pretense at manners abandoned.

“I was sitting on my tail.”

“Again?”

“Don't make him sit on his _tail_ , Piotr,” Kitty said, but there was laughter in her tone.

“I did no such thing. He moves too much.”

“Why did we not purchase a larger vehicle?” Kurt said to no one.

Scott replied anyway, “Because we couldn't afford one. As it is, Forge had to make significant modifications to this one for our use.”

Piotr rested his chin on one large fist and sighed. Kurt leaned down and dug through his bag for snacks.

“Sit still! Do you _never_ sit still?” Piotr fussed.

Kitty laughed again. Kurt finally had enough. “That's it, _schatzi_ , you've had your freedom.” He slid towards her, and as he did, he pulled her up and over his lap into the middle space, leaving her legs draped over his knee. “Now who has the best seat in the car?” he teased as he leaned back in her former spot with his arms behind his head.

Piotr scowled at Kurt, jealous, but said nothing.

Kitty frowned at Kurt, too, then smiled wickedly. “I do,” and she grabbed his bag of snacks, pulled out a cheap cupcake in crinkly plastic, and fell against Kurt's shoulder, making herself comfortable.

“Oof!”

“Faker,” she quipped as she ate his cupcake.

Emma turned her head to raise a brow at Kurt. “Children,” she muttered. “Scott, I'm hungry. Can we find a place to eat and use the facilities?”

 _Of course she'd want to stop now_ , Kurt thought. He sighed and bent close to Kitty's ear. “You've been in quite a good mood, _Kätzchen_. What's your secret?”

She patted her hip and produced a small device. “Audiobook.” She pulled out one of the discreet earpieces she wore, hidden by her hair so he hadn't even noticed. “Wanna listen? I have another pair.”

He would gladly share almost anything with her. All their years in Excalibur had made them friends, _good_ friends, the best of friends. He'd shared food and shelter and time with her. He'd given her his shoulder to lean on and leaned on hers, rescued her and been rescued by her, and all the while his feelings for her changed and grew until he could no longer deny them. But he could pretend.

“Certainly,” he said, accepting the small devices and popping them into his ears. Kitty let her head rest in the crook of his shoulder, and he was remarkably comfortable with her there, and his arms around her waist and the scent of her shampoo wafting from her hair. They drove another hour before Scott finally acquiesced to Emma's demands for food and facilities. Before piling out of the car, Kurt clicked on his image inducer and helped Kitty out the door.

  
  


They stopped in a busy shopping district with several fast food options and a couple of sit-down restaurants. “Just grab something to go,” Scott instructed. “We don't have time to sit.”

“Fine,” Emma conceded, “ But I won't eat my _dinner_ on the run.” She flounced towards one of the fast food restaurants, Scott trailing after her.

“Fine,” he said, and she took his hand. Kurt marveled at their match, at how well the two fit together in spite of so many obstacles. Emma had been their enemy, had once ordered her henchmen to chase Kitty—a thirteen-year-old child—through the Chicago streets at night. Kitty had never quite gotten over it, and Kurt honestly couldn't blame her.

Logan stalked off to the hamburger joint and Piotr followed Kitty to a sub shop, while Kurt debated. His heart wanted to follow Kitty, but Logan was in no mood to talk and that didn't bode well for innocent bystanders. So he followed Logan to the burger place.

When they regrouped at the car, Kitty's good mood seemed to have vanished, but she insisted on sitting between the two boys. Piotr gave Kurt a sly smile, and he wondered what had transpired at the sub shop to make her change her mind about sitting beside him. She was the reason he'd taken the middle seat in the first place, after all.

“Don't make me sit next to him, Kurt,” she had said when she caught him in the hall just before they left. “He thinks he's still in love with me, and he'll just moon over me for twenty hours. I can't take it.” How could he say no to her? Now she _wanted_ to sit beside Piotr?

She climbed in and switched her book back on, startling Kurt, who'd forgotten he was still wearing her earbuds. He shut the door and switched off the image inducer, then settled into the corner of the seat. As soon as he was situated, she flopped back against him. He put his arm around her shoulders and savored the closeness.

“I'm not squishing you, am I?” she said.

“No, not at all, _schatz_.” As if she could.


	2. Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They stop at a crappy hotel.  
> There's a rat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I hate rats. If you like them or love them, then you are amazing and I respect you. I still hate them. And yes, I know they're smart and all, but no, I still don't like them.

Kitty decided she had the best seat in the car, stretched out as she was, with her head on Kurt's chest and her feet propped on Piotr's knees. Kurt was warm, a nice contrast to the air conditioning that was still going full blast—mostly for Kurt's benefit. He wasn't soft, too much muscle prevented that, but he was cozy and if she tipped her head just right, she could fit in the crook of his shoulder and probably fall asleep. He had one arm draped over her hip and the other was dangling onto the floor of the car.

If she tipped her chin up she could kiss him, but she'd never do that. He wouldn't understand. No, she corrected, he _would_. And he'd be kind and it would be worse. But it didn't matter, she'd never be so bold. She was his friend and that was all and it had to be enough, because she saw the way he looked at other women, even Emma, and he never, _ever_ looked at her that way.

Kitty dozed, and when her book ended, she opened her eyes to see where they were. Kurt didn't move when she sat up, slowly and carefully so he wouldn't be disturbed if he was asleep. Piotr had his eyes closed as well, and Emma's head rested on Scott's shoulder.

“Where are we?” she said quietly.

“Somewhere in North Carolina,” Scott replied. “I'm pulling off for a break.”

Kitty stretched, and her companions both stirred at Scott's voice.

“I missed the ending,” Kurt said as he handed her the earpieces.

“You can borrow it on the way back if you want.”

“Oh _Gott_ , I forgot we have to do this again!” He slumped back into the corner.

Kitty laughed and patted his knee, letting her hand linger on the muscles of his lower thigh just a moment longer than necessary. “It's not so bad. Here, we're stopping. Turn the inducer on.”

As promised, Scott let Emma choose a restaurant to sit down and eat. There wasn't anything expensive nearby, so while she found her choices all _well_ beneath her, she finally settled on some basic American joint that would have something she might tolerate. They had to wait a few minutes to get a table for six, but the meal was decent and they all seemed to cheer up a little being out of the car.

“How far to our stopping point?” Kitty asked.

“I was planning to make it all the way to Florence, but traffic was so bad through the DC/Baltimore area we lost a lot of time.”

“We only lost it 'cause you can't drive worth shit,” Logan said. “Hell, I'll get us to Jacksonville before dark.”

“No, we can't afford to draw that kind of attention, Logan.” He rubbed his temples under the visor. “But if you can keep it under eighty, I'll let you take the wheel a while.”

“Done.”

The waitress came by to collect their dishes and the payment, and Kitty didn't miss the slip of paper she left at Kurt's elbow. A phone number, no doubt. No matter where he went, this happened. Even using the image inducer, women noticed him. Kitty thought it was his voice, smooth and slightly husky, with a beautiful German accent that could make women swoon.

He picked up the paper, looked at it and smiled, then crumpled it in his hand. Then he looked right at Kitty and winked. She wondered what that was all about.

Finances being tight meant they couldn't afford a nice hotel, but decent they could swing. The motel Logan found, however, seemed almost intentionally disreputable. Emma scoffed. “I'm not staying here.”

“You are, lady, same as the rest of us.”

“Logan, there are other motels,” Scott said.

“On the main drag, yeah, where we're sittin' ducks and other people are in danger. Ain't nobody in this place.”

He and Scott argued while the rest of them leaned against the car and waited. Piotr kept glancing at Kitty, and frowning. Kurt wandered around the parking lot, stretching and hopping around. She wanted to run off with him and hide from Piotr. The way he kept looking at her was just weird.

“What?” she said finally.

“Nothing,” he said, but he stopped staring at her.

Eventually Logan won his argument, probably by sheer stubbornness, and they each got their rooms. Scott and Emma in one room, the guys in another, and Kitty, alone. That was fine with her—she definitely had the best deal of all. She'd have peace and quiet and didn't have to listen to Emma complaining about the state of the room. She opened her door with the key—a real key, not a key-card. She was next-door to the guys and another door down from Scott and Emma.

The room was faded and dull, but clean enough, she supposed. No little bugs had scattered when the light went on, at least she hadn't seen any. The mattress wasn't particularly comfortable, but it would do. She checked for bedbugs, and by some small miracle, there were none. Possibly because no one had used the room in centuries. She tested the shower, and while not overly hot, the water ran clear. Another good sign. After a shower and change, she climbed onto the center of the bed and pulled out her laptop to do some work. She could hear the guys through the thin wall behind her.

At first she ignored them, but after a while she realized she had heard her name a few times. Were they talking about _her_? She stopped working and listened in earnest. She could hear them pretty clearly, especially when she pressed her ear to the wall. Piotr whined about Kurt “hogging” her attention—Kitty almost laughed out loud—and Logan grumbled that Piotr needed to give her space. Piotr argued that he still loved her and would win her back, Logan countered that he was crazy. She realized the argument seemed to be solely between those two, and Kurt so far had nothing to say that she could hear.

Her shoulders slumped a little, and she sat back down on the bed. Oh well. It wasn't anything she didn't already know. After a while the talking stopped and Kitty was sleepy enough to turn the lights off and lie down. She was dozing off when she heard the sound.

A scratching sound. Scrabbling. It was coming from the bathroom. She sat up, anticipating some threat—a villain sneaking around, their enemies infiltrating with weapons drawn—and turned the lamp on.

She almost screamed when the rat ran from the bathroom towards the bed. She was halfway through the wall when it skittered underneath, and she fell backwards onto another bed in the other room, tumbling over the person in it and landing at the end.

“It's me!” she shrieked when Logan came at her, claws extended.

“By the white wolf what— _Katya_?”

“ _Kätzchen_ , what's wrong?” Now Kurt was beside her, easing her away from Logan. She sat up and caught her breath while they turned lights on.

“There's a rat in my room!”

Piotr stared at her blankly from his bed. “You are afraid of it?”

“No! Well yes, _kind_ of! It's a _rat_!”

“I will remove it.”

“I'm not sleeping in there with a damn _rat_ , Piotr. There could be more!”

By now, Logan was up, and he grabbed Kitty's hand. “Get me in there.”

She phased him through the wall and left him there. When he banged on the wall, she stuck her head through. “Is it gone?”

“Yep.”

“Good. I'm still not sleeping in here.”

“Dammit, Kitty, it's gone. Quit bein' a baby.”

“You sleep in there, then. I'm not doing it.”

He growled, then threw himself onto her bed. “Fine. Now shut up and get out.”

Kitty pulled her head back through the wall and turned to face an irritated Piotr and curious Kurt. “Well? Is it gone?” Kurt said.

“Yeah.”

They waited.

“ _Katya_...is Logan coming back?”

“Nah, he's gonna sleep in there.”

“What about you?”

“I...don't actually know...” She chewed her lip as she thought. “Maybe the car.”

“Logan has the keys,” Piotr said as he returned to his bed, occupied only by himself. “You can sleep here.” He gestured at the empty space in his bed.

“ _Kätzchen_ , take Logan's bed,” Kurt said reasonably, and Kitty didn't miss the look he shot Piotr. “I have a cot already.”

“Thanks, Kurt.” She hugged him. “Sorry I screamed.”

“Understandable.”


	3. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan drives fast.   
> The mission just gets worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mention of scrapes and burns. Not graphic, but it's there.
> 
> Also, Logan swears a lot. Language.

_Damn Scotty Summers and his wussy drivin'. If he'd let me, we'd be a hundred miles closer by now_ , Logan thought as he tore down the interstate at almost ninety miles per hour. He was sick of the car, sick of Emma and Scott and their lovey-dovey shit, sick of Piotr pining for Kitty, and sick of those other two ignoring shit they shouldn't be.

Miles passed in a blur, broken only by necessary rest stops and food. They were almost to the Florida line when the car blew up.

They had entered a lull in the traffic, no cars nearby, when Logan sensed something was wrong.

“Somethin' stinks,” he said and they all stopped and looked at him. He and Scott saw the smoke at the same time. “Bail ou—” he started to yell as explosions ripped the car apart.

 _Dammit, another vehicle down_ , he thought. _We don't have money to buy a new one, either_. Logan was thrown from the car, slamming into the pavement and skidding for yards before stopping. His skin was torn up, but as he caught his breath, he could feel it knitting itself back together. With a grunt, he surveyed the damage, taking stock of his teammates. He caught sight of Piotr, metal skin glinting in the sunlight as he tore metal off the car and pulled someone out. _Oh god, no_ , Logan thought, already on his feet and running to the car. He noted Kurt by the side of the road, Kitty holding him back. No Emma and no Scott.

The flames roasted newly healed skin as he helped drag the two team leaders from the wreckage, as sirens wailed in the distance. Traffic was trying to go around them, and the drivers pointed and gawked. Logan could hear them saying things. _Muties. Freaks. Look what they did. They almost killed us. Should all be shot_. Logan tuned them out.

Emma, in diamond form, had shielded Scott. He still had burns on his legs and one hand, but she had kept him alive. Logan could smell the fear on her when she shifted back to human flesh. Piotr cradled Scott in his arms and when he reached the side of the road, Logan said, “We better get outta here fast. Cops are comin' and they won't like what they find.”

“Can we save _anything_?” Kitty asked, staring at the burning car, no doubt thinking of the mission equipment. Another explosion seemed to answer her question.

“Nope. Let's go.” They fled into the woods that ran alongside the interstate, moving as fast as possible. Logan knew they were seen leaving, but that didn't matter. By the time the authorities cleared up the mess, they'd be far enough gone that it wouldn't matter. But right now what they needed was to get Scott home. It was too far for Kurt to teleport him anywhere other than a local hospital, which wasn't a good idea. Mutants were hated and feared and recent legislation allowed doctors to refuse to treat them. Not to mention the police would have profiles and sketches of them sent to all the surrounding hospitals, hoping to catch them and pin the explosion on them. He wished he could dig through that car and find out what had caused it to explode.

When Logan thought they were far enough away, he stopped. “How bad is he, Elf?”

Kurt was the closest thing they had to a doctor among them at the moment, with field medic training and basics in battle trauma First Aid. But he had nothing to work with, so when he said simply that Scott had burns on his legs and hand, it was nothing Logan didn't already know.

Logan clicked on his comlink, breaking mission protocol. “Hank?”

“Logan you know—”

“I do and I don't give a shit. Scotty's down, needs med evac _now_. I'm stealing a car for Emma but get a medkit and meet her halfway.”

Hank protested, but as Logan explained the situation, he relented, and Logan closed the connection.

“You are going to steal a car?” Kurt said.

“Spare me the self-righteous indignation,” Logan said. “You got any better ideas?”

“No. I was going to say, make sure it's fast.”

 _I always underestimate that guy_ , Logan thought. “All right. I will. Rest of you stay put. We're close to a town or somethin'. I'll be back.”


	4. Kurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the mission gets even worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of burns, slightly icky and possibly graphic, depending on one's definition.   
> Does Florida have rats? Probably? I know they have alligators and very large bugs (yucko). 
> 
> Mentions of past trauma--very brief--Kurt's remembering the Florida circus but not in any detail.

Kurt had seen burns before, but there were places where he could see Scott's bones, and it turned even his somewhat experienced stomach. Logan crashed off through the woods to find a car, and if they were very lucky, he'd find one. If they were very, _very_ lucky, the police wouldn't send dogs for them. Or sentinel trackers. The team sat in silence, no one willing to crack even one joke.

Kitty sat close to him, her face drawn, worrying her lip. Kurt put a hand on her shoulder but she didn't move or react.

When Logan returned, Piotr carried Scott, and the group followed him to where he'd left the car. It was a nice car, not sporty, but it wouldn't break down—most likely—and didn't come close to matching the description of their burned out one.

Piotr lay Scott on the backseat as Emma got behind the wheel.

“Don't stop for anything,” Logan said. “Hear me, lady? Just drive til you hear from Hank.”

“I think I'm capable of managing, Logan,” Emma said, the first words she'd spoken since the explosion. She slammed the door and sped off.

“What about us?” Kitty asked. “Are we finishing this mission or what?”

“We are. I got another car over there,” Logan said, pointing to a run down shed.

The other car was a total wreck. It was a compact thing, faded, with tiny rust spots on the hood and trunk. Inside it smelled like old, sun-worn vinyl. “Does it even run?” Kurt asked.

“Course it runs. AC don't work though. Sorry.”

Kurt sighed. Figures. He and Kitty wound up in back because Piotr couldn't fit. The engine roared to life, sputtered, and held. Kitty exchanged a glance with Kurt, and Logan pulled out from behind the shed, through town, and onto the highway a few miles down from the accident. They'd lost almost everything in the car fire. They'd lost time, too, again. By the time they reached Cape Citadel, they might be too late.

The four of them rode in silence for a while and Kitty finally tapped Kurt's arm. “Is he going to be okay?” she whispered, as if they'd all agreed to the silence.

“Hank will take care of him, _Kätzchen_. He always does.” He patted her hand, and she curled her fingers around his.

Kitty wasn't scared of much, Kurt mused. Rats, apparently, but he could understand that. He didn't like them either. He'd spent too many nights in the Florida circus listening to the creatures scurrying about his own cage and nipping at his tail or his toes. No, rats he could live without. He shuddered at the memory, and Kitty looked over at him, leaning in.

“You okay?”

“ _Ja_.” He considered lying to her and then decided to tell her the truth. “I was thinking about that rat.”

She pulled her head back in disgust. “Oh, god, _why_?”

Now he wished he hadn't said anything, but he was committed, so he plunged ahead. He knew Piotr and Logan in the front seat were listening, but with all the windows down and the air flowing through the space, maybe Piotr wouldn't hear.

“The circus in Florida had rats.” She squeezed his hand a little tighter but said nothing. He loved that about her, how she seemed to know when to be silent and listen. She had a temper and a tendency to spout off, but then there was this gentle side of her, too. “They would get into all the cages at night looking for food.”

She knew he'd been kept in a cage. He'd told her about it once, years ago. He tried to be nonchalant about it, but she latched onto the statement and when he was done, she took his face in her hands and told him he didn't deserve that. She called him her sweet fuzzy elf and she looked as close to tears as Kitty ever got. She would know what he left unsaid.

“Someday,” she said, her voice mostly carried away by the wind, “I'm going to phase that man's heart out.”

Kurt wasn't sure how serious she was and hoped he might never find out.

“I'll help,” Logan said from the front.

“Help what?” said Piotr, and no one answered him.

  
  


Logan pushed the car to its limit, and they arrived after dark. Getting into the space center would be easy enough, but once they were inside, they had to move fast.

The device they were looking for, if their intel was right, would be located in a locked storage facility in the main building. Logan left the car parked behind a run down roadside bar just outside the main gate. They'd be on foot the rest of the way, no short distance even once they passed the gate.

Portions of the land were swampy and they had to move almost to the road. When they reached the building in question, Kitty phased inside. Once she determined the hall was clear, she brought Kurt in with her. Security at the space facility wasn't the same as a military establishment. There were armed guards of course, but nothing like trying to break into other top secret government installations. Piotr would wait by the wall where they would exit again in twenty minutes, while Logan scouted the building's perimeter. He'd warn Piotr of guards or video.

Inside, Kitty followed Kurt down the twisting halls, trusting his instinctive sense of direction. Emma's role would have been to convince the guards they weren't there. Now she was gone and if they got caught, their only choice would be fight or leave. They reached the door, undeterred by the lock, and slipped inside. It was freezing and pitch dark. They kept the lights off, and Kitty was utterly blind. She stayed by the door and listened to Kurt moving around.

“Found it,” he said, and she heard boxes shifting and the slight movement of his feet across the floor. Still, his voice directly in front of her was startling. “Let's go.”

Kitty poked her head out, and was about to pull Kurt through when she yanked her head back into the room and relayed the information to him. She'd heard footsteps running, and voices saying, “They went this way.” “One looked like a demon.” “Mutants for sure.”


	5. Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission gets even more worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is shooting at people in this one.
> 
> I know nothing about wounds, wound care, unconsciousness, etc. I'm pretty sure the person who got shot should have died, but hey, I live on the edge. Ha ha! Also, this is a work of fiction. Roll with it. :-)

Kurt hooked his arm around her waist and Kitty felt the familiar weightless-upside-down sensation of his teleport. She ignored the queasiness as the four teammates ran across the compound. From behind, she heard shouts and the report of gunfire. There weren't many guards yet, and the team was almost to the cover of foliage when Kurt went down, rolling to shield the box. He leaped to his feet quickly, but Kitty knew he'd been shot. When they reached the heavy underbrush, Kurt passed the box to Piotr. They kept running, but Piotr was louder than the rest of them and Kitty could still hear the guards following them.

“We need a diversion,” Logan said. “Keep going. I'll hold them off.”

“No, we should stay together,” Piotr protested.

“Elf's hit, no arguing.”

“Then I will stay with you, _tovarisch_.”

“Fine, give Kitty the box. Half-Pint, we'll meet you at the car. Don't drop this.”

She didn't argue. Kurt, for all his blue skin and fur, was looking rather pale. They had a long way to go, and a lot of marshland.

Most of the guards must have been concentrated on the main compound, because she and Kurt didn't encounter any as they made their exit through the marsh. She hoped they didn't come across any sleeping alligators. They emerged on the main road a ways down from the car. They had about ten feet of cover left before they had to make a mad dash to the car and hope no one saw them. She grabbed Kurt's hand and dragged him behind her the final distance to the car.

Once there, Kitty flung open the trunk and put the box inside to free up her hands. Kurt leaned heavily against the door frame.

“My shoulder,” he panted when she came around. He let her examine it, but Kitty could see that something was wrong. It took more than a gunshot to stop him. His knees were giving out already as he began sliding down the side of the car.

“Come on, get in the car before you pass out,” she said, yanking the door open and guiding him in.

“Kurt, talk to me, are you hit anywhere else?” He had to be, she thought, he looked like he was about to collapse.

“Hrm... _ja_?” And he fell over on the seat.

Kitty suppressed the panicky feeling in her chest as she ran her hands all over him in the dark, the dome light being one of many things that did not work on this car. She had the light of the moon alone, and it wasn't nearly enough. She cursed to herself and wished Piotr and Logan would hurry up.

She found a second gunshot in the back of his thigh, and more along his side. Apparently the space center guards just fired everything until they hit the target. Kitty wondered if non-mutants could have kept going with so many injuries. She didn't have anything but her shirt to use to stop the bleeding, having lost all her spare clothes and her uniform in the explosion. Kurt's own shirt would work, though, and she started ripping off strips of it.

He mumbled in his half-delusional state. She couldn't understand most of it, but she thought he was making a crack about her undressing him. At least he was trying to make jokes. It was when she got his shirt off that she realized at least one guard had a different weapon, something that shot tiny little bullets, not unlike a shotgun spraying pellets. There was a mass of holes along his side, with bullets wedged in each, the size of seed beads.

“Oh god, Kurt,” she whispered as she counted the holes, ripping his shirt the rest of the way off to wrap it around him. Once they got him to safety, she could phase her hand into his side and work the bullets out that way. But she didn't want to do anything until they weren't being chased. The bullets were probably preventing him from bleeding out. She pressed strips of his shirt into the other wounds.

Logan's barked order startled her. “Let's go.”

Kurt lay along the back seat, and she crouched on the floor. There was a bullet in his leg, too, and she would have to get that one out later as well. He was a mess and it was a miracle he wasn't dead.

“Logan, he's full of bullets,” she said. “It's like they didn't aim for anyone else.”

“They did. You were phased. Piotr was metal. I got a healin' factor. He's the only one who was a sittin' duck.”

They drove for what felt like hours. Kitty's eyes were gritty and heavy, but she couldn't sleep, not until she knew Kurt was all right. The sun was just beginning to rise when Logan finally pulled into a grocery parking lot. He turned in his seat.

“Feds will be looking for a group of four. You and me'll go to that hotel over th—”

“No.”

“Don't argue with me—”

“I'm not leaving Kurt.” She clenched her jaw, willing to fight him over this if she had to.

“Dammit, I don't want to either, but only Piotr's strong enough—”

“We all go together. I'll get a room and the rest of you can join me after I'm in.”

Logan looked ready to kill her, but she stared him down defiantly until he gave in.

“That's a good plan,” he admitted. “I doubled back to throw 'em off, but no tellin' when they'll figure it out.” Logan glanced at Kurt's prone form.

Kitty slipped out of the car. “I'll come back for you.”

It was a nicer hotel this time, but she didn't want to request two beds and alert them to the plan. She had to pretend she was alone.

Room key in hand at last, she motioned to Piotr from the back of the hotel building. He hauled Kurt out by his feet. Kitty winced as he lifted him into his arms, jostling him far too much for her comfort. “Third floor,” she said. “Be careful with him.”

Logan would follow later after he bought supplies and food. Kitty texted him their room number as she and Piotr climbed the stairs, hoping not to see any other guests. She was relieved to make it to the room without incident.

Now they had to deal with the bullet wounds. She inspected them again in the light, the scattering of small bead-like bullets along his side, the larger wound in his shoulder, where the bullet had passed through, and the bullet in his leg and the other places. They had stopped bleeding at least, so she didn't do anything to them. Kurt was the one who usually knew what to do with injuries.


	6. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supplies and medical care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logan swears a lot. Language in this chapter.
> 
> Pretend I know medical stuff. (I don't)

Kitty was stubborn, dammit, but she was right. Staying together was a better plan. He didn't want to leave Kurt, either. For now, he stalked along the sidewalk of a shopping center, ducking into stores here and there to buy supplies. They needed medical supplies, but he worried purchasing everything at one place might somehow give them away. Hell, even buying them as he was now was a risk, but there wasn't much choice.

Kitty texted him the room number, and he deleted it quickly. His last stop was a dollar store, where he bought gauze and snacks. From there, he circled around the shopping center and headed towards the hotel by a different route. A military vehicle sped down the interstate, just beyond the shopping center. Logan wished they'd had time to get farther away. He didn't like being so close to the interstate.

Another vehicle, and another sped by, and when he was finally sure it was clear, he strolled across the parking lot heading in the general direction of the hotel. His phone dinged, and he looked at the message.

“Hurry up” it said.

“Fuck.”

He picked up the pace, and when he was close to the hotel, he texted her to have someone let him in the back way. He waited in the bushes, noting the camera at the door. They were so screwed.

Piotr let him in, and they raced upstairs and into the room. Kurt was laid out on the only bed, towels under him and blankets covering him. He was shivering even with Kitty curled up behind him. She shot up when he came in, her face ashen with worry.

“Fuck.” Logan scratched his head and debated the pros and cons of removing all the bullets. They needed to get him to Hank before they took them out, or he might bleed to death. As it was, he'd lost a lot of blood.

Logan handed Kitty some sports drinks. “Let's see if we can get him awake enough to drink.”

Kitty sat down beside him, touching him gently. Logan growled in impatience. “Just slap him,” he snarled.

She flipped him off and continued what she was doing. Kurt's eyes finally fluttered open and he groaned.

“Hey, Fuzzy, you gotta drink something. Look, Logan's back.”

“Hey Elf. Buck up, wouldja?”

Kurt tried to sit up, and Kitty shot Logan a furious look. Piotr helped him upright and Kitty held the drink to his mouth.


	7. Kurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Medical care, reconnaissance, and sports drinks?  
> Also, one bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt doesn't die, but he does encourage some bad medical care (don't use anything that happens in any of my stories as medical advice because I'm pretty sure most of it is total garbage. It just makes for an interesting story.)
> 
> Language.
> 
> And at last, one bed. Sigh.....

He could feel Kitty searching for injuries. He knew he had some but he couldn't quite place where they were. He remembered getting hit in the shoulder...or arm? The pain was spread out and he'd fallen so he wasn't certain. Right now his head was swimming and he was dizzy and tired. He could feel her hands on him, moving over his legs and back and arms and he wondered vaguely why she couldn't just look. He blinked once or twice and realized it was dark and they were in the car.

  
  


He woke later to Kitty's fingers on his face, stroking his cheek and his ear and his hair. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming, one of his most wonderful dreams about her, but then the pain hit him again and he remembered. Kitty's voice was soft, but from across the room, Logan barked at him to sit up. He tried, but his muscles felt like spaghetti. Piotr's grip on his chest hurt when he lifted him upright, but Kitty was there, holding a bottle of some sports drink to his mouth. He could drink that for her. He wanted to tell her he was glad she was here, but he fell asleep.

He woke up a third time when something burned his leg. “ _Gott im Himmel_! What are you doing to me?” he cried, whipping his head around to face Kitty, pale and shocked.

“Sorry...it's the antiseptic.” She looked stricken. He took a deep breath and fell face-first onto the bed again.

“ _Danke, Kätzchen_ , I'm sorry for yelling.”

“Don't, it's fine. Logan brought some stuff over and...”

She appeared in front of his face, crouching beside the bed. She looked tired, dark circles under her eyes, which were pink and maybe a little swollen, but she touched his cheek gently. “You got shot, Kurt.”

“I noticed.”

“A lot.” Her voice wavered.

“ _Ja_?”

“Some kind of...like buckshot or something. It's all in your ribs. And there's a bullet in your leg.”

“Do you have water?”

“Yeah, yeah, hold on,” she said, and reached somewhere he couldn't see. She had more sports drinks. “Strawberry Kiwi, or Apple Grape?”

“Strawberry.”

She held it out and he covered her hand with his, afraid he might drop it. When it was gone, he felt better.

“Want some more?” she said.

“Soon. Anything to eat?”

“Not much. Logan brought some snacks but that's all.” Kurt leaned down, looked around the empty room. He saw the plastic bag on the counter, and his uniform on the back of the chair. He made some careful inspections under the blanket and was relieved to still have his underwear on at least. The rest didn't matter.

“Is he here?”

“No, he left an hour ago with Piotr. He brought the First Aid stuff and the snacks and said he had to go. He's doing reconnaissance, watching for the police or something.”

Kurt nodded. Of course. They'd been spotted, they had no way to get home, and they weren't exactly going to blend in with the general population. They were probably on video, too. The mission had been a complete disaster.

She brought the snacks over, fruit, chips, some cookies. He ate it all.

Kitty hovered, still looking uneasy. She kept looking toward his leg.

“Is it that bad, _Kätzchen_?”

“What?”

“The injury.”

“Oh. I don't know, Kurt, you got shot. The bullets are all still in there. We can't take them out until we're home. Logan said you could bleed out.”

He nodded, understanding. “ _Ja_ , usually best to leave them until we can get better medical help. However...I don't know how long that will take, and I also don't want to get infected. Logan can probably get them out with his claws...”

“I've been cleaning them.”

He chuckled, then coughed and grabbed his side in pain. “I'm no use to anyone like this,” he said.

“I can phase them out.”

“That would be better than Logan's claws,” Kurt said. “No telling where they've been.”

“It's still probably going to hurt.” She bit her lip. “And what about the bleeding? I don't know about this, Kurt. It's gonna piss Logan off.”

“I know. But I'm only a hindrance like this. If you can get them out, I'll be able to move at least.”

He could sense her wavering.

“Okay. All right, I'll do it.”

“ _Gut, danke_. You have towels or something? I'm ready.” He flashed a toothy grin to encourage her.

He felt her hand on the back of his leg, then nothing, then a sharp, excruciating pain when she reached the bullet, then relief when it phased and she pulled it out. She shoved gauze from a First Aid kit into the wound and gave him the water again before she cleaned the wound.

The alcohol burned like mad, but he gritted his teeth until she was done. She wrapped more gauze around it and tied it off, moving the blanket back over him.

“Now your side.”

He glanced at his arm, already wrapped in white.

“Yeah, you didn't even wake up for that one. It was bad, we had to take that one out.”

“I'm sorry I scared you.”

“It's okay. It's always like this whenever anyone gets hurt. It's always scary.”

“Worse than rats?”

She gave a slight laugh. “Yeah.” She pulled back the blanket with a sigh, and he lay still while she worked out the tiny bullets in his side. “Thank god they had terrible aim,” she said.

“They had excellent aim,” he growled. “They hit me three times.”

“Yeah but...god Kurt, you could've died.”

“But I didn't.” He winced as another bullet came out and she pressed hard with the gauze, as he'd shown her to.

“It's not funny. Kurt are you sure about this?”

“No, _schatz_ , it isn't funny, and yes, I'm sure. Go on now and finish so I can eat some more and sleep. And by the looks of your face, you could use some sleep yourself.”

It took over an hour before she finished removing all the bullets. He was more white bandage than blue elf by the time she was done. There was a vending machine down the hall and she brought him more snacks from it. While he was eating, Kitty peered out the window, just barely moving the curtain to see out.

“ _Kätzchen_?”

“Just checking,” she said, and yawned. “For police and stuff.”

  
  


Piotr came in then, with more food. Kurt ate some of that, too, while Kitty ate her own meal. “Is Logan coming back?” she said.

“ _Da_ , soon.”

Piotr finished eating and lounged in one of the hard chairs by the window. The sun was sinking low as Kitty cleaned up the food mess. Logan joined them not long afterwards, reporting that he'd seen a lot of military vehicles heading south, but none had stopped here.

“We gotta go first thing,” he said, dropping into the other chair. His eyes focused on Kurt and snapped over to Kitty. “The fuck did you do?”

Kitty's eyes went wide, and then she straightened. “Took out the bullets.”

“Goddammit, I told you—”

“I told her to, Logan.”

“The fuck for?”

“I couldn't even move. Now, by morning, I'll be able to walk on my own at least. Leave her alone about it.”

He growled and grumbled, and stalked back to the chair he'd come out of in anger. “Don't fuckin' listen to anyone,” he muttered.

He hadn't been awake long, but he was already getting tired again. Kitty was sitting at the foot of the bed, not looking at anyone. He tapped her with his foot, and she started for him, assuming something was wrong. He was stretched out on his good side, his back to the others, and he motioned her close with one finger. “When they go to bed, you sleep here, all right? You need to sleep.”

“No, I'll be fine.”

“Kätzchen,” he said, touching the dark circles under her eyes. “Listen to me. They do not need sleep as you and I do. Piotr, in his metal form needs nothing, and Wolverine can go for days at a time. His healing factor keeps him going. You need to sleep. The bed is big.”

She put her head down next to him to talk. “Are you gonna be okay?”

“ _Ja_ , I feel better already,” he said with a reassuring smile. “And I will feel much better if I know you have slept.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay _fine_.” She didn't move away, though the other side of the bed was wide and empty. He tentatively laid a hand over her side, and she inched closer, tucking her hands up against his chest. He couldn't see her eyes but he could hear her breathing, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. As much as he wanted to stay awake and relish holding her like this, he was exhausted and drifted off shortly after.


	8. Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything gets even worse than worse.

She slept late, and Kurt was sitting up when she woke. Panic washed over her, fear that she'd messed up the mission by sleeping so much, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“We should go—Logan said...” Across the room, Piotr was eating something and looking out the window through a crack in the curtains. He didn't even bother answering her.

Kurt put a hand on her back. “Relax. Logan's on a supply run for breakfast. Bobby won't be here to get us for several hours.”

“Oh. No more stolen cars then?”

Kurt laughed, clutching his side. “No, afraid not. Disappointed, _Kätzchen_?”

“No, just hungry. How are you?” She sat up, running a hand through her hair and yawning.

Kurt shrugged with one shoulder. “I'm all right. Sore, but feeling much better. _Danke_ for your care.”

“Sure. Couldn't have you slowing us down like that, anyway.”

He laughed again. “You're trying to punish me for something,” he teased. At the window, Piotr huffed but didn't turn around.

Kitty ignored him, turning to sit cross-legged halfway down the bed, facing Kurt where he leaned against a pillow at the headboard. It felt surreal, the two of them in a bed as if it was perfectly normal, as if that was their every day. It must have shown on her face.

“You're happy about that?” he said. He was looking at her so intensely, she couldn't quite think.

“No, no, sorry, I was thinking about something else. _Breakfast_. I wonder if they still have a buffet open...”

“It's after nine. I don't know. Logan promised to bring food.”

She pushed off the bed and pulled shoes on. “I'm too hungry to wait. I'll be back. I'll bring you guys something if it's open.”

In the hallway, she pulled herself together. She couldn't get his face out of her mind, the way he looked at her. Downstairs, they were beginning to clear away breakfast, but she snagged a few boxes of cereal and some fruit, and it was better than nothing.

“You want some milk for those, honey?” said one of the workers.

“Thanks, yes, please,” Kitty said, smiling at the woman who indicated the small fridge under the waffle station.

She took her time walking back upstairs, skipping the elevator, and phasing through the door. Kurt was out of bed, and when she stepped through the door, he grabbed her and put a finger to his mouth. “Shh,” he whispered, his mouth so close she could feel his breath in her hair. “Someone knocked earlier. It wasn't our people. Two in the hall...they went down in the elevator.”

Kitty looked at the food in her hands and dropped it on the bed. She went to the window, peering out carefully beside Piotr, and scanning the parking lot below. It was full of people.

“Oh god, now what?” she whispered, turning. He was already coming up beside her.

“We wait for Logan's signal,” Piotr said.

“That could be a while,” Kurt said, noting the number of soldiers swarming the parking lot. “We need another plan.”

“We have one image inducer for three people,” Kitty said, thinking aloud. “Are you well enough to teleport?”

“I have to be.”

“Okay. Then...give Piotr the inducer, and make him look like a woman.”

Piotr turned then, complaining. “I do not want to look like a woman.”

“They aren't looking for two women, Piotr. You and I might be able to walk out together.”

He pouted but gave in. “All right. What will Kurt do?”

“Hopefully teleport somewhere he won't be seen and wait for us.”

Kurt came up behind her at the window and peered out. “I'll head to the alley behind that shopping center.”

“That's where we'll meet you.”

Kurt fiddled with his image inducer until it was set, then handed it to Piotr. “Be careful,” he said before teleporting away.

  
  


Rachel's face smiled at Kitty as she and Piotr opened the door and walked out. They were immediately stopped by a soldier. “Sorry ladies, everyone's been asked to stay inside. We have a situation.”

“Oh,” Kitty said, playing frightened. “Oh my gosh, are we in danger?”

“No ma'am, everything's under control, but we need you to go back inside to your room and stay there.”

“Okay, we will, thank you,” she said, hauling Piotr back into the lobby.

“Now what?” Piotr whispered as they waited for the elevator.

“Plan B2,” she said. When the elevator doors opened, they stepped inside and when they closed, she phased them down through the elevator shaft. In the basement, she headed towards the shopping center, through the ground, popping her head up now and then to gauge where they were.

At last they rose through the ground behind the shopping center, Kitty looked for Kurt.

He wasn't there.


	9. Kurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And keep getting worse. Ignore my summaries. Everything gets worse from here out until they go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Language

The alley was deserted when he arrived, but his side hurt so badly he had to wrap his arms around it and lean against the brick wall for a moment to catch his breath. When he could stand up straight, he climbed up the side of the building and scanned the parking lot. The place was swarming with soldiers and more were arriving. He lay flat on the roof, his wounds aching as he watched and waited. Kitty and Piotr never appeared.

Then from below him in the alley behind the shops, he saw a brown head of curly hair peek around the corner. He quickly leaped down behind her.

“ _Hallo_ , Kätzchen, Piotr,” he said when they both jumped in surprise.

Kitty didn't waste time scolding him for scaring them. “We gotta get out of here,” she said. “Look.”

He peeked his head around the corner and saw that the troops were fanning out to look for them.

“Have you heard from Logan?” Piotr asked, and Kurt shook his head.

“How much longer until Bobby gets here?” Kitty asked as they walked along behind the stores. There was a wooded lot separating the shopping center from a neighborhood, and they headed in that direction. When neither Kurt nor Piotr knew the answer, she raised him on her comlink.

“Hey Bobby, you there?”

“Yeah, Kitty, what's up?” She could hear music blaring in the background.

“How far out are you?”

“Mmm, about two hours. You guys in trouble?”

“Kinda. Can't raise Logan on the comms, and the hotel is surrounded by cops. Kurt's hurt and we have no transportation.”

“I'll try to cut the time down, but—”

“Be careful.”

“Yep.”

She clicked it off. “Shit.”

“We are on our own?”

“For at least a couple hours.” She glanced at him and Piotr, who was no longer disguised as Rachel. “Maybe we should split up.”

No, he didn't want to do that. “Maybe.” Loud shouting followed by gunshots rang out from the shopping center behind them.

“Oh no,” Kitty said, turning. “Logan?”

“Probably,” Piotr said.

“We have to go back and help him,” Kitty said, already running. Kurt tried to ignore the pain in his leg and keep up. Back at the shopping center, they left Piotr on the ground and went up to the roof, Kurt by crawling and Kitty by airwalking. From there, they could see that Logan was indeed surrounded by soldiers. He was holding his own so far, but if the soldiers pushed him too far, it would be a bloodbath.

“We have to get him out of there.”

“ _Ja_ , but how?” Kurt rubbed his chin. “I could try teleporting him—Ach, _verdammt_. Piotr.”

“What the hell is he doing?” Kitty said, pushing up on her elbows too far. Kurt gently pressed her back to the flat roof. “Okay...okay...we need a plan, and fast.”

“I'll teleport Wolverine away if you can get Piotr.”

“Right. I can phase him under the ground again.” She gripped his arm tightly. “Hey, you be careful. You're not in good shape.”

“I'm all right.”

She blew out a breath. “You got shot like, a hundred times. Don't get cocky.”

“It was only two. Or three?”

“Hundreds, Kurt. Hundreds of tiny little bullets I personally pulled out of you. No arguing.”

Kurt loved when she was protective of him. It made him feel warm inside, and he smiled at her.

“I'm not arguing. I will be very careful, _liebchen_ , and you do the same.” He kissed her cheek and teleported away.

When he appeared beside Logan, he was snarling, claws out, getting shot to hell. Kurt didn't waste time, but teleported immediately. He felt another bullet sting his arm, but they were gone before it could get worse.

Behind the shops again, he coughed and doubled over. “Wait—Kitty,” he said, wheezing.

“Stupid fucking move, Elf,” Logan said. “They'll be comin' this way. Where's Kitty?”

“Getting Piotr.”

Kurt stood up, taking deep breaths. Kitty was going to scold him, even though he'd been as careful as possible. She floated up with Piotr then, and the four of them headed into the wooded lot.

“Neighborhood,” Logan said. “They'll be less likely to shoot there.”

“You sure about that?” Kitty said as soldiers stormed around the shops and gave chase. Kitty dove for Kurt, linking her arm in his and phasing them both.

“No. Not sure,” Logan said. “Tell me someone's got the box.”

“In my backpack,” Kitty said. “Guys we need another plan!” Bullets zinged past them.

Logan skidded to a stop, then spun and headed back towards the soldiers. They balked briefly, then fired more bullets. His healing factor would take care of most of it, but that didn't mean he was invincible. Piotr, in metal form, ran in front of him, deflecting most of the bullets. Kitty hung back with Kurt to see what they should do. Now and then, he tugged at her arm, wanting to be in the fight. She hung on tighter. “Easy, Kurt, this isn't the time for us yet.” She watched, feeling as useless as he did. But if she went to help, Kurt would be a sitting duck. She glanced over and saw the fresh wound.

“Aw, hell, did they shoot you again?”

“Yes.”

“What am I going to do with you?”

He could think of a few things, but he said nothing.

The soldiers had finally stopped shooting, as Piotr advanced on them and began breaking the guns. Some of the soldiers fell back, some ran. Then their leader held up his hands in surrender.

“Truce!” he called.

Kurt's heart began to race. He didn't trust the man. This was a trap. “Kitty—”


	10. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A capture, an escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotsa language. Wolverine has a potty mouth.

Bastards. Fucking bastard assholes. Logan looked around when he woke up, trying to get his bearings. It was dark, but he could see. They were in what looked like a prison. He was flat on his stomach, hands and feet bound. When he turned his head, he could feel the inhibitor collar. He hated those damn things. They didn't stop him from popping his claws, they only made it hurt more and take longer for the wounds to close up. Fuckers.

He looked for his friends, but his range of motion was limited. He could see Piotr in a cage beside him, but no one else.

“Hey Petey,” he called.

“ _Da_ , _Tovarisch_ , you are awake.”

“Yeah. Kurt? Kitty? Are they here?”

“ _Da_ , the other side of you. I don't think they're awake yet.”

“Fuck. I swear t'god if Kurt dies because of this I'll come back and kill every last one of these pieces of shit.”

A door opened down the hall, and Logan's mouth curled in a snarl as two soldiers approached, talking to one another.

“Creepy guy's out still. He looks half dead anyway. Bitch is out, too.”

“Oh, here we go,” said the second guy. “We got a live one, Kev.”

“Radio the boss and tell 'im. They wanna see 'em as soon as they're awake.”

Kevin's partner put out the call, and was answered in the affirmative. “They're on their way.” He leaned close to the cage bars. “Don't like those collars, do ya, buddy? Not too much fun?”

“Come a little closer and find out,” Logan said.

“Maybe later,” Kevin said. “We got bosses on their way.”

Logan heard movement in the cage beside him, and the muffled sound of Kitty's breathy groan. Dammit, he'd hoped she'd stay out long enough to avoid whatever this interrogation was going to be.

“Kurt?” she said.

“Hush, half-pint.”

But they noticed her. The two guards laughed and whispered to each other, making vague, obscene threats. Dammit, this was gonna suck.

The higher ups came in, boots clacking on the metal floor. They looked clinically at the four of them. “Is the blue one dead yet?”

Kevin's partner answered. “No, sir. He's unconscious. He has wounds sustained in a previous fight.”

“Fine, leave him here then, but bring the other three to the interrogation room.”

One by one, they were dragged out of the cages, Kitty first, by Kevin and his leering partner. They returned with two more guards who escorted Piotr out. One had a taser and wasn't hesitant about using it. Logan was last.

The four guards hauled him to his feet, and he fought them. The taser was set high, and its shock burned. Without his healing factor, it was going to do serious damage if he worked this right. Once the shock had worn off, he struggled again. This time, when the taser came at him, he rolled his body forward. He missed. Fuck. He didn't think he'd have more than one more chance before they figured out what he was trying to do. He waited a little longer, until they were in the doorway where things would be more confusing. Again, he fought, and again the taser came. This time, he twisted around enough that the taser hit the inhibitor collar and shorted it out. With a roar, he bashed his head against the closest guard, popped his claws, and spun around, ripping through uniforms and some skin as he did. He kicked a second guard and then slammed his body against the third, smashing him into the wall and leaving a dent. The fourth brandished the taser, and Wolverine grinned.

“Come at me, bub.”

The guard held out the taser, and Wolverine rushed him, knocking him back into the wall. He heard the crack of his skull and the man slumped down. Piotr was in the first room he busted open, and was able to help him get the cuffs off his hands. One slice of a claw destroyed the collar on his neck, and he went to metal form.

“Get Kitty. Meet me back here.”

Logan headed back to the cages for Kurt, tearing through the bars with his claws and throwing a semi-conscious Kurt over his shoulder. He groaned, and when Logan met up with the others, Kurt was awake. Logan set him down and he grabbed his side.

“ _Verdammt_ , Logan, could you not have been a little more careful?”

“Sorry, bub, forgot your delicate sensibilities.”

“Can we get the hell out of here guys?” Kitty said, not taking her eyes off Kurt. He didn't have time to think about that, though. She was right. They had to go.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a rescue. Phew.

Bobby answered his comlink immediately.

“Where are you guys?” he demanded. “I've been circling the city for hours!”

“We got captured,” Kitty said. She gave him their coordinates and he headed their way.

The building they'd been held in was a basic prison, with lower levels for government use. Once they had reunited, Kitty had phased them underground, away from the building, and into the woods. They'd had no luck at all on this mission, had lost the device they'd come for, and would be going home empty-handed.

Still, Kitty hoped Bobby would find them before the soldiers did.

She heard dogs barking and let her head fall against the tree she was sitting under. “Oh for the love of...really? Dogs?”

The four wearily got to their feet, and Kitty took hold of Kurt again.

“That way, _meine Freunde_ , the city is that way.”

Without question, Logan headed the way Kurt pointed. The others trudged behind him, Piotr bringing up the rear. Logan contacted Bobby again, changing the pickup location.

“Can you guys just stay in one place?” Bobby said.

Logan grunted.

“I'll be there in five minutes,” Bobby said.

Beside the road, they waited, racing the clock. Who would arrive first, the soldiers or Bobby?

An SUV pulled up with Bobby in the front seat smiling. Piotr ran to the front seat while the other three climbed into the back.

“Go,” Logan snapped, and Bobby didn't hesitate. They were gone before the dogs arrived, but it was likely there'd be another chase when the soldiers realized what had happened. Logan waited for Bobby to get them out of immediate range, then insisted on driving. Bobby didn't argue, just climbed in back. He glanced at Kurt's bandages.

“Damn dude, were you the only target?”

Kurt chuckled softly, and coughed.

He sounded bad again. They really needed to get him home. Kitty touched his shoulder and he tipped his head against hers.

“We ain't stoppin' folks, so get comfy,” Logan said. Piotr, in front, tipped his seat back.

Kitty was at the door again, and Kurt in the middle. Bobby flipped over the seat to the third row and stretched out on the bench seat.

“Ha ha, I got the best seat in the car,” he bragged.

As Kurt leaned down to rest his head in her lap, Kitty thought she might have to disagree. She petted his hair as she looked at the small wound on his arm where the last bullet had grazed him. It looked pretty bad.

“Hey Bobby, is there a First Aid kit in this car?”

“Uh...maybe in the glove box?”

Piotr handed the small kit back to Kitty, and she dug in it for the antiseptic wipes.

Kurt sighed against her leg. “ _Wunderbar_. I have been looking forwar—Ow!”

Kitty ignored his protests as she wiped the wound clean, as gently as she could, and wrapped it with gauze. No Band Aids would stick to a fuzzy elf.

“ _Danke_ Kätzchen,” he said when she was done. He pulled her hand around his shoulder and kissed her fingers, tucking her hand under his chin.

  
  


Kitty dozed while Kurt slept and the miles passed in a blur. They stopped only briefly for food and rest, and made it home in record time. As they pulled up to the school, Logan said, “If Scotty had let me drive in the first place...”

“Straight to Hank,” Kitty said to Kurt as they went inside.

“I know, I know, but I think you took very good care of me.” He smiled.

  
  


Kitty went to her room, and after a shower and change of clothes she felt much better. They'd just missed dinner hour, but the fast food nuggets she'd eaten were still sitting in her stomach like lead weights. She scrolled through available movies online and chose one.

When Kurt passed by, he waved, and she jumped up.

“Hey, what's the verdict? Will you live?” she said, meeting him at the door.

“ _Ja_ , in fact, Hank said you did a marvelous job removing the bullets. You didn't even leave one behind.”

“Well, I am a professional,” she said. “I'm putting a movie on if you wanna watch.”

“I need a shower and clean clothes first,” he said.

“Of course. I'll wait.”


	12. Kurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversation in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of cheesy, Kitty's kind of trying to drop some hints but she's not doing a very good job.

It didn't matter how many times he saw her in pajamas. It affected him the same way. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and cuddle her and then make love to her and then sleep with her all night. Usually, he only got to do one of those things. And not the one he _most_ wanted to do.

He showered carefully, with Hank's permission, and hurried back to Kitty's room. She was tucked up on the bed with a book while she waited for him. She smiled when he came in, and set the book aside.

“Feel better?”

“ _Ja_. Still sore, but clean is always nice.”

“Agreed. So this is a new release I didn't see in the theater. Sound okay to you?” She gestured to the screen where the summary was showing.

“Looks fine. Hopefully I won't fall asleep in the middle of it. I'm still tired.”

“If you do, I'll cover you up.”

He swallowed. “ _Danke_.” What else could he say?

She started the movie and fluffed the pillows, making sure he was comfortable. “Hold on,” she said, shoving the covers down. “In case I get cold.”

“ _Ja_. Sure.” Why did he get the feeling this was a set-up?

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, and Kurt sat stiffly beside her.

After a few minutes, he adjusted the pillows so he could lay back more, and hoping he didn't sound pathetic, said, “Do you want to sit closer?”

He was rewarded with a smile as she scooted closer. “I didn't want to hurt you,” she said.

“ _Nein_ , you could never hurt me.”

“Yes I could!” She lifted her head and looked at him, indignant. “I beat your sorry blue tail plenty of times.”

“Not at all the same thing,” he said, tracing the tips of his fingers up and down her back. “You best me often, but you've never hurt me. Not in any way that matters.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I'm glad to hear that. I'd never want to.”

“You've put me back together more than once, though.”

“Are you still speaking metaphorically?” she said as she fingered the edges of the bandage on his chest. He hadn't bothered to button his shirt.

“Both.” He kissed the top of her head, a lingering soft press of his lips into her hair.

“Well, I couldn't have a broken Kurt, y'know.” She picked up her chin, resting it on her hands on his chest. “Goofy, silly, prankster Kurt is enough to handle.”

He grinned, teeth flashing in the dim light of the television. He reached up and touched the hair that fell across her forehead. “I'm glad to know that.”

“You're still my best friend. You know that, right?” She smiled in a self-conscious way, and Kurt was fairly sure her cheeks were pink.

“There has never been any doubt. You know who mine is, ja?”

Kitty smirked. “Logan.”

Kurt shook his head, playing along.

“Piotr.”

“ _Nein_.”

“Oh. I know. It's Ororo.”

“Wrong again. One more guess and then I win.”

Kitty pretended to think hard, tapping her lip with her finger. “Got it. It's Emma.”

He made a face and laughed. “Very much no, _liebchen_. Too bad, I win.”

“What's the prize?”

“You.”

She tipped her head in consternation. “I quote, 'I am _not_ a prize to be won!' Jasmine was so smart.”

“I didn't mean—not like that. I meant—”

Kitty laughed at how flustered he'd become. “I know, silly.” She kissed his cheek. “I'm your best friend. I know what you meant.”

“ _Ja_.” He was caught in her eyes for a moment, wishing, as he had so many, many times, that he was braver and more confident, that he could tell her how much she meant to him. “The, uh, the movie. We're missing it.”

Kitty shrugged. “I like talking to you better. Especially when I can make you speechless.”

Which he was once more.

She leaned up and kissed his cheek again. “I'm glad you're all right,” she said. “I was pretty worried.”

“Me too.”

“You?”

“I was the one with all the bullet holes. What if the fur doesn't grow back and I am covered with bald spots? I'll look ridiculous.”

Kitty laughed. “It wouldn't matter to me. You'd still be cute.”

“You're biased,” he said, trying not to attach any importance to her words. “I would definitely scare off any damsels who wanted to be rescued.”

“Pshh, nah. They wouldn't even see the bald spots 'cause they're under your uniform.”

“Good point.”

“Unless you rescue them shirtless.”

“Do you recommend that?”

“No. Probably not.” She rolled over abruptly and stared at the movie. “Unless you're rescuing me.”

Maybe there was importance to her words. Maybe... He ran his hand down her arm, slowly and deliberately, with the back of his fingers.

“You are no damsel in distress, Kätzchen.”

“Then I guess you don't have to worry about it.”

His heart was thudding madly in his chest, but he felt the moment, the chance, slipping out of his grasp. “But if you were in trouble, I would risk everything to get you back.” He let his fingers stray to her neck, and up to her cheek, one finger moving lightly up to her hairline. “With or without a shirt.”

She giggled then, and he was more confused than ever. She seemed to be done with the conversation, turning to her side and hooking her arm around his waist, careful to avoid the injured places.


	13. Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty's perspective. Short chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're both idiots. :-)
> 
> One bed, y'all. My life.

She didn't know what had gotten into her, and made her so bold. Maybe it was fear, a result of almost losing him again. Maybe it was fatigue, and her guard was down. What surprised her most was the easy way he bantered back, accepting all her pathetic little hints and returning them easily. She needed time to think about what that meant. Probably nothing. It was Kurt after all, the notorious flirt.

She rested her head on his good shoulder, her arm around his waist, and then later, resting flat on his chest. Feeling his heart beating steadily, and his chest rising and falling with each breath, and the gentle touch of his hand on her back made her feel peaceful and relaxed. She watched the movie, idly moving her fingers back and forth in the fur on his chest and thinking how nice it would be to do this every night.

She wanted to tell him that. She was sleepy enough to consider it, too, and would have, except at that moment the monster jumped out from a closet on screen, and she jumped.

“Got me, too,” Kurt said, rubbing her back more firmly for a moment.

Kitty caught her breath and agreed. “Well, I'm awake now,” she said.

  
  


The movie ended, and Kitty patted around the mattress for the remote, not wanting to move. Finally she had to sit up to find it.

“I swear it was on the bed,” she said, eventually finding it on the floor. She reached over the side of the bed to grab it and turned the television off. It wasn't late, but they were both tired from the long, horrible mission. She sat on her knees in the dark room, lit only be the light from the hallway where her door was still open. Kurt hadn't moved. She tried to sound nonchalant. “So, are you gonna stay?”

He didn't answer immediately.

“That is entirely up to you, Kätzchen,” he said at last. “Do you want me to?”

She slid off the bed and shut the door. “Yes.”


	14. Kurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oopsies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dangit Kurt, tell her the truth and shame the devil or whatever.

“I like your company,” she said as she climbed back onto he bed and pulled up the covers. “And you're really warm.”

“I like your company, too,” Kurt said. He rolled onto his good side, facing her. She reached out in the dark and touched his face, and he realized she was finding him in the dark, his shadow-blending ability making it hard for her to see where he was.

“Good night,” she said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek again. He moved his head to kiss hers, too, and in the resulting confusion, his lips landed on hers.

He pulled back quickly. “Missed. Sorry. Very sorry.”

She blinked in the dark and said, “'S'okay...uh, g'night.” She rolled over, and he wasn't sure what to make of the way she was breathing fast.

“ _Gute Nacht, mein schönes_ Kätzchen,” he said quietly.

He lay awake a long time before he was convinced she was asleep. Was she upset? Was she only surprised? Her earlier flirtatious talk seemed to hint that she might have feelings for him beyond simple friendship, but this contradicted everything. He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep.

  
  


He slept so late she was already up when he woke. She was reading the book she'd had earlier, and when he stirred, she set it down.

“Hey,” she said.

“ _Guten Morgen_ , Kätzchen,” Kurt said, wincing as he pushed to a sitting position. “How did you sleep?”

“Okay I guess.”

“Not so good then.”

She shrugged. “I kept waking up.”

“Did I bother you?”

“No, not at all.” She patted his knee. “Probably stress.”

“I'm sorry.”

She changed the subject. “Logan said Scott's doing really great. We can go see him later if you want.”

“I'm glad to hear it. _Ja_ , it would be good to see him.”

Kurt felt a wall growing between them, of awkwardness and uncertainty. Best to demolish it quickly. “I'm sorry again about last night. It was an accident.”

“You said.” She knew exactly what he was talking about. “It's fine. It was fine. No big deal.” She gave him a smile, but he could tell it wasn't genuine.

He turned to face her. “I don't want anything to come between us. Your friendship and your trust is the most important thing in the world to me.” He touched her hand. “How can I make this right?”

“First, you can stop acting like it's all your fault. Second...well, just stop acting like it's all your fault.”

He raised a brow, determined to lighten things up and win back the easy friendship they'd always had. “Let's blame Logan. He isn't here to defend himself.”

Kitty huffed out a laugh. “Just don't tell him. I don't like being gutted before lunch.”

Satisfied that things were all right, he got up, stretching carefully before padding down the hall to his room. Last night, before the accidental kiss, everything had seemed so perfect, so easy, so confusing. Afterwards, it was worse. Now, he was completely lost. Did she want to be friends? Was she attracted to him physically? Did she have feelings for him? He had no idea.

He dressed carefully and went downstairs to eat breakfast.


	15. Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to Scott, a conversation, and clearing the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitty is very forgiving.

When Kurt left, Kitty leaned her head on one hand, feeling disappointed more than anything. An _accident_. He stressed it so much it couldn't have been more clear how he felt. They were only friends and would always be only friends and he had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever. His words had been only words, pretty but meaningless. And the other kisses? Platonic affection, she decided.

She sighed and got up for the day.

  
  


Scott was healing, but the process was slow and painful. Keeping the burns free of infection was the worst part, but thankfully Emma was able to help keep the worst of the pain at bay. Scott was his usual practical self, asking first about the mission and the device.

“We lost it,” Kitty said. “The entire mission was a failure. A total disaster.”

“I think we were set up,” Scott said. “From the explosion to the rest of it, I think someone knew we were coming and made sure we failed spectacularly.”

“You think someone fixed the car to blow up?” she said.

“It's likely. Cars don't generally spontaneously explode.”

Kitty had thought about it at the time, but since they'd had to run, there was no chance to inspect the vehicle, not that there was a lot of it left. The engine was particularly demolished. The guards at the space center, the military hunting them down, the inhibitor collars, and everything else could easily have been bad luck, but if not, then someone had known their plan all along.

“Yeah. So...what now?”

“Since we were unable to acquire the device, it means most likely the secret project will continue to move forward. We'll have to find another way to stop it.”

“For now,” Emma said, coming in from the other door, “It's time to rest.”

“See you later, Scott,” Kitty said. “Glad you're doing better.”

She headed out the door as Kurt was coming in. “Emma just kicked me out,” she said. “So I think you'll have to come back later.”

“Too bad,” Kurt said, and waved to Scott. Emma scowled. “I see what you mean.”

Kurt walked with her down the hall towards the computer lab, hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. At the doorway, he stopped her when she would have gone in to work.

“Are you busy later?” he said.

“Later, when?”

“Anytime. Evening. Afternoon.”

“No. I have this stuff to do now, but it won't take long.” She cocked her head. “Why?”

“I'm going into town and thought you might join me. If you aren't busy.”

“I can go. What's the errand?”

He scratched his head. “There isn't one. I was in the mood to get ice cream.”

“You should have said so right away. Of course I'll go for ice cream.” She looked back at the computers. “But I really do have to get this paperwork done, so I'll find you after.”

“I'll probably be in my room. I'm not able to practice or do much of anything until I'm healed.”

  
  


It wasn't a date. He felt more nervous than he did for dates. The hours ticked by slowly as he tried to fill them in useful ways, until at last she appeared in the doorway.

“Sorry it took me so long. It was more complicated than I expected.”

“No need to apologize,” he said as he put his wallet in his pocket.

Salem Center in warm weather was a pleasant place to sit and people watch, with the ice cream shop and coffee shop both providing outdoor seating. It had taken them longer than usual to walk to town, partly from Kurt's injured leg and partly because they were in no hurry. He longed to hold her hand, but things had become so strange before, he was afraid it would happen again. He didn't want to take the chance.

They took their ice cream to a table outside the shop and for a few minutes, they didn't talk. Then Kitty craned her neck to see around him.

“Is that guy...yeah, he is. He's wearing a Cat's Laughing T-shirt! I haven't seen one of those in ages.”

“Still your favorite band?”

“Yeah, but I think the last time I saw them in concert was that time in Excalibur. Remember?”

“When you wanted to go and Brian didn't want to let you? _Ja_ , I remember.” He remembered very well. She was so young still, but he knew that to put trust in her was the right thing to do. He'd vetoed Brian, and she had wound up in an adventure with the X-Babies.

“Those were the days.”

“ _Ja_ , they were. These days are not so bad, though.”

She smiled over her bowl. “Not when there's ice cream.”

“Is that all it takes to make you happy? A dish of ice cream, hm?”

“Ice cream, a good book, maybe a computer program to work on.” He watched her lick her spoon. “What about you?”

“A good swordfight, books, and an Errol Flynn movie.”

She put her dish in the trash and took his, too, ready to head back. Kurt was in less of a hurry, but he followed her.

“I guess Scott's gonna come up with a new plan,” she said.

“Seems likely. Hopefully one that won't fail quite so spectacularly.”

They arrived at the school grounds and Kurt couldn't shake the restless feeling in his heart. He was tired of hiding things from her. They stepped through the gate and went a few more paces before he stopped.

“I have to tell you something,” he said.

“You can tell me anything,” she said, and she touched his arm. He wondered if she'd be so eager to do that after he confessed.

“The kiss wasn't an accident.” He held his breath but she didn't slap him or scream at him. She didn't even take her hand off his arm.

“Okay.”

She seemed willing to hear him out, so he continued. “I'm sorry. It was completely wrong of me to do that without your permission.”

“I forgive you,” she said, and he finally looked at her. Her face was open and trusting, waiting for him to explain himself.

“You—you do?”

“Yes. But I am curious why you did it.” She was now rubbing with her thumb on his arm, gentle strokes as if she was trying to comfort him.

He'd started down this path and he was going to have to finish it now. He closed his eyes tight, then opened them to find her face still there in front of him. She looked...she looked like she _loved_ him.

“Because I'm in love with you. I've wanted to kiss you forever.”

“And maybe I was dropping a few hints?”

“I wasn't sure.”

“Maybe this will be more clear,” she said, then leaned up and kissed his mouth, a chaste, quick kiss. “I love you.”

“I feel like a fool,” he said.

“You aren't,” she said as she stepped closer, hugging him carefully. “D'you still want to kiss me?”

“Very much.”

She let go of him and waited. He put his hands on her shoulders, smiling, waiting for the dream to burst. Her lips parted slightly and kissed her. She tipped her head up to kiss him back, those soft lips moving over his with tender affection. A thousand fantasies of this couldn't compare to the feeling of her hands in his hair and her warm body pressing against him. She broke the kiss, grinning up at him.

“I'm glad it wasn't an accident,” she said.

“I wish I hadn't said that.”

“I understand why you did.” She kissed his cheek. “Should we go inside?”

“ _Ja_ , probably. The entire school is probably standing at the windows.”

Kitty laughed. “Let 'em.”


	16. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end

He could smell it on them when they walked in, two of his best friends, hand in hand. “Finally,” he grumbled, chewing his cigar. “Scott's waitin' for us.”

“Another mission?” Kurt said.

“Maybe. Gotta see him to find out.”

The group went down to the infirmary where Ororo and Emma were also waiting.

“Now that everyone is here,” Scott began, “Wait. Where's Piotr?”

“I am here, Tovarisch,” he said as he came in the door behind Kitty. Logan watched him from the corner of his eye, remembering all too well Kurt's story of how he'd reacted to Kitty's last boyfriend.

Scott started outlining a new plan, breaching the facility where the device would be used, destroying as much of their technology as possible. “It'll take them forever to recover from damage like that. Kurt, remember the Black Air Acquisition Center? I want damage like that.”

Kitty peered at Scott skeptically. “You want us to obliterate it?” She glanced at Kurt and back to Scott. “Meggan isn't here.”

“It won't be on that level, but I want serious damage. Irreparable if possible.” Scott glanced around at all of them. “I can't go with you. But Emma will keep us all connected.”

Logan huffed. “When?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Kurt can't go,” Logan said.

Scott's head snapped up. “Why not?”

“Injured.”

“I'm fine, Logan. I can go.”

“What's Hank say?”

Kurt let go of Kitty's hand and folded his arms. “I've been through worse. I can handle it.”

Logan relented. Kurt was right, and it had been several days now.

“All right,” Scott said, the matter tabled. “Gear up and be at the jet in ten.”

Logan watched Kitty's hand slip back in Kurt's. Hurt or not, he'd be all right with a woman like that watching out for him. Logan cracked a smile as he went down to the jet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else think it's kind of creepy the way Logan can smell everything like he does? Like, I'd be afraid to be around him for that reason more than his claws. Or maybe both.


End file.
